OreGairu: A New Beginning
by RootC2
Summary: What if Volume 12 started like this. . .
1. chapter 1

A random thought.

I space out.

Oblivious to my surrounding.

I like the feeling. Losing myself in the spine of a book, seeing a part of myself in the rustling of a tree, the murmur of a beetle in summer, a voice in the distant, the sideburns of my hair, the doodles on my notebook, the doodling on my notebook. The flutter of the curtains by the open window the smell of perfume that reminds me of someone, the warmness of the asphalt after a hot day, the setting of the sun, the twilight that follows. The all nighters, the midnight snacks, the sappy anime's, the funny ones, the provoking ones.

I trap myself in these little kelidoscope of thoughts. Re living them, spending eternity in them, as if I've lost something. Something important. Something dear. Maybe my own self. I wonder why I get captivated by a faint clap of thunder.

"XXXX-kun!" I look up, jerked out from my reverie. Her name is. . . . I don't remember.

She is my classmate.

I think.

I see her on this intersection most days on my way to school. Maybe she waits for someone. Could it be me? I wondered once. But then again the fact that we never talked in school nor did she ever try to start a conversation in our meetings, were all enough reasons for that thought to not go wild.

There is a mysterious air about her. I can't figure her out and her sudden burst of friendliness that lasts a second.

"Good Morning." Her mouth is stretched - showing her slightly yellowed teeth—but not stretched enough to furl the skin around her eyes, which almost always seem bored to death. The omega 3 in her eyes suggest that a Dragon Maid might visit her one of these days.

I nod and as I walk past her. Her face reverts to a poker, betraying no emotion. Weirdo. Not like I'm in a superior position to say that. But still. . . . anyway, now I'm here—

On the hallway headed to my classroom.

I have a low presence, I know.

Whenever I am walking in the hallway there are people absent mindedly chatting while blocking the way. For example, right now. I awkwardly tell them to move in 'excuse me'. They don't seem to notice so I tell them again. No result. "Excuse me!" It comes out too loud before I realise it. They look startled. I think it would be like seeing a spectre materialize out of thin air and screaming(Scream. Did I? Well it sounded like one.).

In order to avoid situations like this sometimes I try to maneuver past them but then they'd bump into me or I would, into them. Keeping my head down doesn't help. I know. But then there's not much to look forward to.

I slid the door to my classroom open. Its like taking in a fresh breath of stale egg. Not appetizing at all. Here's a toast to a Wonderful day. But before that i—

I believe there are two types of self centred people. The first thinks the universe revolves around them and the second thinks they are not part of the universe. Which universe? The Milky way of course.

I think of myself as the latter. Not exactly a superiority complex. I enjoy my own company better since I find socializing trying. In fact I've begun to suck at it. Here's a demo.

The classroom is loud as I quietly make my way to my desk. Underneath the noise I hear a faint, 'Good Morning'. It's close, I think as I walk past someone but after taking a few steps I realise it was addressed to me, yours truly. Even though it was too late, in order not to seem stuck up yours truly looked back and whispered, 'Good Morning'. Wry smile. Awkward moment. Thank your Gods GoodMorning-kun, if i hadn't wished you back then your embarrassment level would have been over 9000.

The rest of the days goes in a blur. I wish I could say that and end it, but no. It gets spine crackingly tiring. The classes take eons to end, its as if like a snail trying to complete a hundred metre dash. Sometimes I try to concentrate on the snail but lose myself halfway in its spirally shell (you gotta be careful of them. You know, spirals. You might become a snail yourself), then I'd doodle on my notebook to waste time.

I read somewhere that doodling and listening to lectures helps you retain 13% more information. But I never listen unless its English. Sometimes I would just blank out and stare at the snail, its mucus trail, its sickly slimy skin, its protruding eyes, its spiral shell.

I'll keep on staring.

Keep on staring.

Keep on staring.

Staring, staring, staring, staring. . . till I register the cringey sound of the bell chiming.

Breaks for me are a blessing and a curse. I'd mostly read a cheap paperback and when I reach a boring part or when the cackling of laughter gets a few decibels too high I scurry to my ear phones to find peace.

I have a wide taste in music. I listen to anything and everything that feels good irrespective of the genre. Sometimes I'd bang my head to heavy metal, sometimes I'd drum my fingers on the desk to piano pieces, sometimes I'd gay out and listening to K-pop. Seriously, there is nothing wrong in listening to Korean boy bands. Just the music not the person behind the music. If you like the person behind the music then either you are a girl or you need to keep you feministic side in check. God, talk about being a sexist.

But listening to them in the classroom does not feel — how do I put it — Right. It does not feel the same as listening to them on your bed.

So I push my chair away and stand up. Time to stretch my legs, and the best way to do that is the walk to the library. Besides, sitting chained to my chair all day would make people I've fallen in love with it. I wouldn't want people calling me Desk-kun.

Never.

For now, the only place I could tag with the word 'like' after a few second pause is the library. Let me tell you one thing about the library, it is quiet. Not 'pin drop' but a 'rustling of a page' quiet. Lets be honest, the latter expression suits Libraries better, the only reason being that its because its a library. And it sounds more libraric. Wow, Libraric. Perhaps I wrote the Oxford dictionary in my past life, no?

I don't borrow books that often. I can't seem to find something I like or would want to read right away. I would scan the spines and if I stumble on an interesting title i would slide it out and read the synopsis on the back. I've never found synopsis helpful though. Its the dullest way a story could ever be told and if its detailed then. . . ugh. That's one of the reason I don't borrow much book. The cover also plays an important role too. It is wrong to judge a book by it's cover but it needs to be interesting enough to make people crack it open. Anyway—

I don't find anything interesting so I grab a picture book and stare outside the window. After a few minutes of listless staring and half baked reading I keep the book on it's shelf and leave. What a productive way of wasting time.

I find it enjoyable. I mean the walk back from the library to the classroom. The silent door breaking away to a lonely corridor, the lonely corridor slipping away to a solemn turn and the solemn turn giving way to the cool stairway. As I make way down, the sound of students crawling below can be heard. Its like a rushing river in a deep forest— growing louder with every step i take. It grows louder, louder, louder, louder till-

"XXXX-san" someone taps me on the shoulder. Its the class representative. His name is . . . . wait, what was is it again? Why am I such a sucker with names.

"Sensei was searching for you. She said it was . . ."

He hesitates, perplexed.

". . .kinda urgent."

That devil. I'm pretty sure she put 'fucking' in those lines before the translation. She didn't have any other adjectives or what. I don't wanna meet her.

"Now?"

"Yes," he nods.

"But the break is almost over." I pretend to furl my brow. Anything to escape.

Upon hearing those magical words he breaks into a smile.

"Don't worry, I'll tell the teacher that you were needed. Leave it to me."

"But—"

"Like I said leave it to me. These kind of things are what I'm suppose to do. Right?"

"O-oh" I wasn't thinking of it as an obligation though, you miserable piece of masochism.

"Well then, I'll take your leave."

"Um"

"Oh yes, XXXX-Kun have you joined any club yet?"

Clubs.

Never.

Not interested.

"Uh. . . not yet,"

"Oh, I see," He half whispers to himself, rubbing his chin. He looked like he was figuring something out. Well at least that pose suggest something like that. Wrong?

"Anyway, with the new rule its compulsory to join a club so its you better choose one fast. Well then," Saying that he leaves.

Compulsory, huh?

I never liked that word. How oppressive does it sound? But I guess we all have to wash our own underwear ourselves.

I make my way to the Faculty room leaving being the mass of _Hito–Gomi._


	2. Chapter 2

Faculty Room.

Smell of coffee.

Paper littered desk.

"Say, XXXX-Kun why did you choose this High School?"

Why? Because its near?

"Because it's near,"

"Because it near, huh?" She whispers to herself.

"No other particular reason?" She bobs her head to the side.

Other reasons?

"None"

"I see. . ."

She's my homeroom teacher by the way.

"But since you're here now I expect you to follow the rules properly. You may have chosen this school just because it was near but the fact that you are a student here is undeniable."

whose denying it anyway?

"You always fall asleep in my class and the other day too XXXXXXXXX-Sensei was complaining that you do not submit your home works on time."

Home works? Plural? I'm pretty sure it was only once. I had contracted the vicious disease called 'Stomachache' and was holing out in the infirmary.

And since the earth can revolve around the sun without my help, no one bothered to tell me about it. I ended up a "Few" days behind the deadline.

He,that teacher, was the type of guy who prioritized the phrases, "Your own lookout", "Duties of a student".

Basically he never reminds you again of anything once he states it.

If you ask me he's just a pain in the ass. He and I will never be in sync with each other. In fact I will never be compatible with anyone in this school. What am I even doing here?

oh! Because it's near.

"I'll keep that in mind,"

"Anyway, XXXX-Kun have you decided on which club to join? I called you today for that reason," she paused "again."

The Sherlock in me knew that already.

"No clubs in particular," I scratched my head.

"In particular huh? So you've at least skimmed through the notice boards then. Good, good."

"No, I actually saw them in the Free Newspaper the Student Council made."

In reality only half a page was used for advertising the clubs. The rest was filled with dumb stuff like reviews of restaurants with good food, Cafés, and places to hangout. It looked more like a travelogue.

There was nothing much concerning the school or its rules or its history and it seemed that they made it with the intention to get the new student familiarized with the school. Well i know that because they gave it to us during our entrance test.

Probably they meant it as a Bible for the new students to 'hit it off'.

The Student Council President must be really dumb. I wonder how she got elected.

"I see, so any club that caught your eye?"

"None,"

"Any club that made you go, " Woah this is interesting"?

"None,"

"Any club that made you want to join it immediately?"

"None,"

"None?"

"No,"

Well...honestly... if a gun was pointed on my head...then... the Basketball club did pique my interest. I could imagine myself joining it. All I need is blue hair and grow a few centimeters shorter. Wait am I taller than kuroko? Need to check.

She let's out a deep sight causing her chest to wobble. The adjectives between would be 'outrageously huge'. I mean you could almost use them as a dakimakura(Body Pillow).

"You know this is not helping at all."

She let's out yet another sigh causing her *ahem!* to Jiggle~~~~. Jiggle Bells.

"Okay, I got it. We'll go with that."

She jerks her head up and faces me. I smell a faint tinge of shampoo as I gaze at her determined face. She's kinda cute ya know.

"Come back after classes are over and don't run away this time."

X X X

To some extend you are a master of your own faith. Something along the line of, 'You reap what you sow' but then again the things you sow are what you reap from the world around you. Sometimes the seeds are forced to be planted.

So I have no option but to relent to my current predicament even though I fuging hate it. Clubs? The very word is unfathomable for me to comprehend, since building up human relations is not exactly my forte.

It forms naturally though, sometimes. There are times when you have to absolutely open your mouth. But if you're out of practice then you blurt out gibberish making you look like a fool. I sure as hell know that the same thing is going to happen to me.

Scary. I think I'll come up with a list of possible blunders and possible nicknames. Or I could just take matters into my hand and try to smooth it off. But thinking about doing it is just so tiring. I think I'll just let this go. Its just three years right? How long can it be? And what's the worst that could happen? Right?

As I exit the classroom after homeroom had finished I see her standing with her arms crossed over her chest waiting for me.

"Lend me your face for a second XXXX-kun."

"M–My face?"

Sure, why not? But wait, let me get something to slice it off. Make sure to give it back though.

She gestures me with her finger to follow her.

We make our way silently to the special building. I have a very bad feeling about this. The kind of feeling you get when you're walking down a dark alley and a cat looking kangaroo who calls himself the God of the universe jumps at you and challenges you to a fight because he didn't like the pudding he ate at the café just around the corner.

I'm totally Yamcha against this.

"You know XXXX-Kun, you may not look like a troublemaker but you're quite handful."

Uwaah. That was blunt. What are you? A Yankee with a baseball bat?

"A-ahhaha"

Why the fuck am I laughing?

"And you're not even sorry for it."

"S-sorry"

She is so tactless. How is she even a teacher?

"You need to build some good discipline in you. Anyway, we're here."

We stop in front of a classroom. I look up at the plate above the door but nothing's written save for some stickers pasted on it. Stickers?

"Here is. . .?"

"XXXXXXXXX-Sensei's inside. Go meet her."

Totally ignored. How bossy is she? Yankee no anego.

"We'll good luck XXXX-Kun."

"Ah,Um. . .eh?"

Saying that she leaves, not even looking back to address my 'I don't get shit!what is happening?' Onomatopoeia.

I stared at the plate not sure what to do. The stickers almost covered most of the plate. I wonder who pasted them and why they did it. The door looked inviting and I wondered what kind of faith awaited me.

"Aren't you going to enter?" I turn and face her.

All I can make out is her watermelon like hair and white blouse—almost disappearing from my myopic eyes.

I grasp at the handle and slowly slide it open. A gust of wind welcomes me accompanied with the smell of tobacco.

A white coat flutters.

I see someone tearing away from the window.

"Welcome. . ."

She snubs out the cigarette,

". . .to the Service Club."

Her voice is monotone.

"I'll be your club advisor. . ."

Almost lazy,

"My name is. . ."

Almost a sigh,

"Shizuka Hiratsuka, your Club Advisor."

Like she has done this a thousand times.


End file.
